Excellent food, service and authentic recipes. The fish is always fresh and the soup is a must try! Can't wait until they reopen!

If & when they open up again. I like the authenticity of this place, reasonably price & good food & service.

This is consistently the best sushi spot in Whittier, it has been my family's favorite place for 8 years. Currently, this hard working family has been battling the unimaginable, their youngest daughter (10) is battling brain cancer and the restaurant is closed. Please send lots of prayers and share the link to support their family. Thank you https://gofund.me/ababf501 read more

Dakara is home of the best sushi in Whittier, and some of the best sushi I've ever had. The owners are lovely and the food is always fresh.

All of your menus and prices are over a year old. I would have been down to try your place, but who knows what I'll pay?

Best sushi EVER! I have numerous friends who come from the Westside of LA to stay overnight so we can enjoy the sushi here together. Jason, his wife and the entire team make delicious food! read more

My favorite local sushi spot! Well, I'm not so local anymore but still make my way. Go to's-Seared Albacore with garlic butter soy sauce (my 6 yo's favorite ever). Baby black snapper sashimi (my fave). Garlic zucchini. Yellow tail sashimi with jalapeño. Most things on their special menu honestly. They always have the same waiters and they're nice and tentative. read more

Decided to try a new sushi place in the area. Dakara has black snapper, which is rare to find, so decided to try this place out. The jalapeño yellowtail was delicious. I believe they actually use Serrano pepper, so be prepare for something with more than a kick. We also got the miso soup. Be aware that they put tempura flakes in the miso soup. It threw we off for a bit, I would of preferred my miso soup without it. We also tried the oyster shooters. It was good, nothing too special about it. Oyster tasted fresh. We ordered the black snapper sashimi, but it was sold out. Tried the sushi, and it was very flavorful. Citrus and a bit spicy. I would like to come back to try sashimi, I'm thinking it will be the same flavors, just without sushi rice. They had yellowtail belly! My go to sushi! It was my favorite! Salmon skin was okay. A lot of salmon skin, but I would of preferred a little more sauce. We also got the sweet shrimp. Sashimi is an order of 5 and it was good quantity for the price. Just be aware it is not live sweet shrimp, so it doesn't taste as fresh. The sauce it came with was great, it reminded me of a citrus ponzu sauce. Overall, I would definitely be back and try the other items on the menu. read more

Dakara Sushi - Sweet shrimp - Japanese Near Me - Whittier, California

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Today we ordered the chicken teriyaki and tempura combination. Husband also wanted an order of California rolls and avocado fries...YES, avocado fries! Everything was delicious and fresh. The combo plate also comes with a nice fresh salad and miso soup. The nice surprise today were the avocado fries. We've seen them on their menu but always overlooked them until today. They're prepared tempura style and are buttery on the inside. These will now be a part of my order every time. Pick up was easy and staff is extremely nice. Plenty of available parking right in front. read more

The food and hospitality here are amazing! The sushi is always fresh and they have a great menu. Love, love, love this place.

Took my family here for my daughters birthday. I ordered off the specials menu posted on the wall on the right side. Family owned and reasonable prices. Service is amazing and their fish was extremely high quality. Favorite dish is easily the crispy rice spicy tuna. If you like family owned, friendly/cozy atmosphere, and high quality food - then this place is for you. Will ABSOLUTELY be back. read more

Came here based off the stellar reviews and honestly I don't know how this place is 4.5 Stars. Did everyone who reviewed this spot only order rolls?! Or were they eating the same food I was? I was craving sushi and decided to go to the closest spot in the area near me with 4.5 stars+. Unfortunately this was a disappointment. Sushi is one of my favorite foods and I do have high standards for it since I eat at omakase restaurants on the regular (Vegas, NY, DC), but I also appreciate cheap, good value sushi spots as well. Unfortunately this was neither cheap nor tasty. I ordered: Crispy tuna rice - the problem with this dish was not the crispy rice but the spicy tuna. The spicy tuna is just not tasty. I think I just don't like how they make their spicy tuna compared to most other spots. Lunch sashimi and tempura set - is this a joke? They give you 2 fried tempura and some fried vegetables while giving you a bowl of rice and 3 thinly sliced tuna sashimi and 2 thinly sliced salmon sashimi. The portion was super small and I even had to verify with the waiter if what I ordered was correct because I've never seen a portion so small for a lunch option. It was more of a snack/appetizer. I also didn't like the batter they used on the tempura. After having good tempura batters the one they use here is very basic, so I'm not a fan. Thankfully I ordered some sushi items a la carte: yellowtail, Uni, and sweet shrimp. Yellowtail wasn't bad, the Uni presentation was nice but tasted a little funny, and the sweet shrimp was decent. We also ordered one roll I forgot the name of that had fried rock shrimp on top. It was okay... too much rice for my taste buds. Anyway don't think I'll be back here. I'd rather try a new restaurant. read more

Stopped in for dinner after seeing they were open. I missed the old place. Jason and his great staff made me feel at home. From the second I walked in everyone was so friendly. I had the chicken teriyaki dinner. It was Delicious with a capital D. I no longer live in Whittier, but will not mind a little drive for great food and service. read more

Really good quality sushi. The dakara roll and baked crab roll are both good, albeit on the small side.

This place is amazing. The best sushi spot in the La Habra and Whittier area, no question. Its always fresh and delicious, friendly, warm and welcoming, and the food is the best. Real sushi. read more

The absolute best sushi. Not over stuffed jumbo rolls with crabmeat and rice.. this is quality! Exactly how sushi should be. I can't get enough of Dakara and tell everyone I know to go there. I can never get tired of it, this is a restaurant you go to over and over and over for years because it's that good. You can't order wrong here, everything is delicious! read more

I went here on the recommendation of a good friend and was not disappointed. The sushi chef/owner was very personable and took me on a fantastic Omakase journey! I highly recommend this spot and the prices were amazing! read more

Amazing food! Fresh and great presentation. Will definitely be back. Also, please support the owners who are parents of a young child that is going through a medical journey. read more

I heart Dakara! Fresh sushi and the specials are phenomenal! Jason and his wife are the hardest working team! Faves include: Tuna on crispy rice Baked crab roll Albacore Braised beef Tuna tostada Tempura (perfectly battered) Dakara roll Don't forget the starters: Chili edamame, sunomono, Shishito peppers & zucchini! read more

I read the amazing reviews and was really looking forward to the experience of eating here. While The Taste was great and the quality seemed good my biggest issue was portion size. Even our roll was so small plus we ordered some sea bass and the entire portion was literally smaller than the palm of my hand. I can't believe I paid $18 for two bites of cooked fish. There were two pieces has indicated but they were so very small that they both fit in the palm of my hand. I was overall disappointed and will probably continue to stick with E Sushi or Wasabi read more

Soooo yummy! Their sushi is so good. Their teriyaki chicken is also very good. Every time we've been it's been a good experience. The only downside is that they have weird hours. So call before you head out. They just might be closed for the day. read more

We came in at 5pm to eat there was clearly an empty table in the middle of the restaurant. When they came to us they told us seating was unavailable and the wait was over an hour. When asked about the empty table they told me that it was reserved. When I asked if there was a reservation site or list they said no. Which made no sense as to how the table was reserved if there are no reservations. It seemed like you needed to know "someone" or be a regular to get a seat. Sad because it was our first time and we were basically turned down, bad customer service. read more

We were so impressed with the food quality and service. We finished everything (very rare). The crispy rice yellowtail was one of the next things I tasted. We had the miso cod, mixed sushi plate, and Japanese curry plate. Everything was delicious and perfect portions. Finished off the meal with green tea mochi ice cream! read more

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Ok! I have to be real. The food here taste good but I was so underwhelmed with the portion of the food vs it's cost. For its price you can definitely find a better place to get sushi. read more

Love the sushi here!! They have good quality fish and you can taste the freshness. We live near Uptown Whittier and drive to East Whittier to have sushi at Dakara. There are closer sushi places but they don't compare to this place. Hands down the best sushi in town!! read more

The sushi was super yummy Simple and packed much more flavor then rolls at other places that sauce of their giant rolls. Everything was super clean tasting and soooo much flavor. Definitely will be coming back. read more

Everything was excellent, the quality for the price point was top notch. Highly recommended!!!

This was our 3rd time ordering take out from Dakara during these quarantine times. Their sushi is always so fresh and everyone who works there is so sweet. The salmon sashimi is our favorite because it is so fresh and flavorful. read more

Dakara Sushi - Salmon sashimi (X2), Rainbow roll, Baked Crab roll, Spicy Tuna cut roll (X2), California roll - Japanese Near Me - Whittier, California

One of the Best around town. They have great service and our very attentive. I have tried a few dish's and they have all been great. The rolls here are not overly stuffed with rice so they are much smaller. I really appreciate that because you can taste the quality of the fish and other fresh ingredients much better. I recommend trying the specials as the change and you get different selections. This last visit we got the Albacore with garlic butter soy balsamic sauce. The fish was very good and melted in your met the sauce was a bit saltier than expected. Next we tried the Baked Crab Roll that had fresh baked crab with the imitation center. We 'd this one so much we got it twice. Would have love more Baked Crab in the center as it was so good. We threw in some shoshito peppers because those are always good. A neighbouring eater offered us a try of the spicy edamame and it was good. Definitely ordering next time. Last we ordered the Oyster shooters as I can never resist trying them and they did not disappoint. I should of ordered another set for myself. The Washington Hama Hama oyster taste so clean and not oceany if that makes sense. It was my first time having them and I fell in love. I could easily eat a dozen. So if you're ever in the area definitely give this place a try. read more

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It's fairly close to home and the sashimi is good :) It's a small shop but looks like they have people in all the time. The service is quick and the food comes out pretty fast. The spicy tuna-crispy rice looked interesting...will try it for next time. The okonomiyaki was really good too! Will definitely come back for my sashimi fix. read more

I love Dakara Sushi. All of the staff is extremely nice. I once got there a few minutes after closing time not realizing they were closed. When one of the staff members let me know they were closed, the owner said it was fine and he sat us down. I felt terrible and said tried to refuse his offer telling him we could come back another day, but the owner insisted. We made it a point to leave before the other parties dining to not be an inconvenience to the staff. During that visit I didn't feel unwanted but instead I felt welcomed by the staff. They are super nice to all of their customers and typically remember you once you've visited a few times. Not only is the customer service amazing, but the food is phenomenal. I love the baked crab roll, the chicken tempura plate is very good too and the crispy spicy tuna is amazing as well. I don't think if ever tried anything I haven't liked. What makes Dakara Sushi stand out for me is that their rolls don't hide behind heavy sauces. Everything is very simple but extremely fresh and delicious. This is my go to sushi in Whittier. read more

Dakara Sushi - Japanese Near Me - Whittier, California

Fresh sushi and good prices. The owners and staff are very welcoming. Would definitely recommend this place. Small and in a strip mall but inside it is very nice and clean. read more

Love this place... . I come here as often as I can since I am in whittier every week. Sushi is always great. High quality... very tasty. Kids love the tempura. Sushi chef Jason, his wife and staff are great. Favs: spicy tuna on crispy rice, albacore, yellowtail, Dakara roll, baked crab roll, chili edamame... the list goes on and on. There isn't a single item I steer away from. I could be selfish and not tell ppl about this place but my friends see my check ins here anyway!! read more

2.5 STARS. I can see how it avg'd 4.5 stars for its sushi quality BUT there were so many other factors that swayed my rating decision. The sushi chef (nice guy) was also the server, the waiter, the guy who answered the phone to take to go orders and the cashier (so he touched the phone and handles money on top of making your sushi with his bare hands)! He was like a one man show even though there was a waitress (who doubled as the cook in the back)! The busboy who was mopping up and cleaning the restrooms also happened to bring us our beverages which he held my cup of tea by the rim. That was just inappropriate restaurant etiquette esp from a hygiene standpoint. The smell of bleach from cleaning the restrooms an hour before closing is also another peeve I have. How can anybody eat w that lingering smell? Since the only sushi chef was doing the majority of work, it took pretty long for the food to be served. We were the only other patrons in the place, can you imagine if it was crowded? Lastly, although the quality tasted fresh the portions of the sushi were tiny. For the price, it's pretty expensive and I would rank it at a $$$ instead of the $$ that's listed on Yelp. My advice would be to drive further up over Colima Road hill and into Hacienda Hts/Industry (Sushi Kamon restaurant) to get great authentic japanese fresh sushi at equal - lesser price but much larger portions. read more

Dakara Sushi - We were the second patrons and we noticed half the sushi case was empty. - Japanese Near Me - Whittier, California

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"DAKARA" translation... "That's Why" Sums it up..... Puts away any doubt that this place can satisfy your snobbish sushi taste...... The fish is fresh and Jason knows how to present...... Traditional sushi in Whittier CA!!! I'm sure the tempura or teriyaki is great but I have never tried that.... I'm there for the sushi and it's absolutely amazing!! I just moved from LA to the area and funny enough they worked at all those fancy places and started their own (good for them). If you LOVE Sushi there is no better place then DAKARA in this area PERIOD!.....just remember it's all about the fish here beside the fact that the service is awesome since its family owned..... I almost don't want to tell anyone about this gem but at the same time they are sooooo good that they deserve to be exposed for everyone's pleasure.... "THATS WHY!" read more

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So what do you do after Christmas holiday with your husband's big family? You all split up and find something else to eat besides leftovers. A group of my husband's cousins and I decided to come over to Dakara sushi. So glad we did! My has been remembered coming here years ago and the food was just as he remembered. Excellent quality sushi making by one lead chef and you can tell how meticulous yet swiftly he works. Worth the wait to have the lead chef take the time to delicately prepare everyone in the restaurant's meal individually. The sous chef was helpful and they had several runners so the plated were out as soon as the chef was done making it. It was actually good to come in a big group because we were laughing and sharing food and didn't even notice the wait. That being said they still accommodated our group of 10 and sake's and beers and appetizers without flinching, seating us right away. We were actually in and out in probably an hour and 45 minutes. The chef asked if you would like wasabi under your sushi in case of allergies. I love it when they automatically by default put wasabi, that means they are classically trained and know exactly what they're doing like in Japan. The quality was so good that it made the small portions seem okay, just note its definitely not cheap sushi. The appetizer chili spicy edamame pods are A MUST because you've never tasted anything like it!! Shared appetizers, two shots of sake, two orders of sushi, and mochi ball dessert... Came out to about $25-30 per person among our group. Yes: super clean bathrooms Yes: private lot parking, but it's a little small so if full, you may need to park on the street Yes: private room available for private parties, but it's not fancy so depending on if you use it, bring your own decorations read more

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Ok so have been looking for a new sushi spot and I hVe now finally found one....great customer service and great food. Will most definitely will go back and prices are great! read more

Amazing food! Family owned with fresh sushi. The only place outside of little Tokyo to get a true taste of Japan. Whittier is lucky to have a place like this. Trust me, I never leave reviews but this is a must. read more

Second time my wife and have eaten here in seven days exactly... What's that tell yuh. :-) Today I tried the Dakara Special "Apple Ginger Pork Bowl." $6.50 Lightly sweet and savory. Nice light apple flavor in the shredded pork Mmm Gud. My wife had the crispy rice w/spicy tuna and seared albacore w/Garlic butter sauce. I tasted both and my goodness amazing! The seared albacore tasted like a small steak. The crispy rice w/spicy tuna nice n crunchy, warm and melted in your mouth. A must try if your in the area, very unassuming lil hole in the wall, not fancy decor, they put it all into the food! TC read more

Dakara Sushi - Japanese Style Curry Rice is amazing! Cabbage, White Rice and Curry Sauce. Nice medium bite and enjoyable. - Japanese Near Me - Whittier, California

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Prices: Very expensive. Service: It was okay. Slow, but the people were nice. The customers seem to have good relationships with the wait staff because there were a lot of hugs exchanged throughout the time we were there. Kind of loud because there isn't carpet or anything to absorb sound. Food: Portions are small. I ordered the spicy tuna with crispy rice, which was very good, but for $8, I was kind of disappointed that there was only 4 pieces. It's a great concept though; I haven't had anything like it before. We also ordered a chicken tempura combo. Presentation is really lacking. It looks really basic on the plate and the taste was mediocre. They should probably develop their menu a little more. Overall: Not bad, but not really good either; I've had better. read more

Dakara Sushi - Chicken karaage - Japanese Near Me - Whittier, California

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